From Within, the third album by the excellent Swedish progressive rock band Anekdoten, released in 1999.
It's approximately 51 minutes spread across six tracks, featuring wonderful guitar, a double mellotron, a Wurlitzer, excellent vocals, piano, Rhodes, cello, bass, percussion, and a vibraphone.
It's a dark, at times neurotic, and very reflective album, with difficult-to-absorb melodies that move into melancholic environments with strong emotion and memorable melodies, particularly in "Hole" and "Firefly."
The mellotron and guitar arpeggios are splendid, shaping the eerie darkness that pervades the album.
The virtuosity of progressive rock is absent; their style is very atmospheric, with a strong emotional impact.
Excellent production and arrangements, with the '70s mellotron sound making a powerful comeback.
"From Within," the opening track, features drums, bass, and mellotron that dominate until the end, when the sound gives way to the clear and very heavy vocals.
"Kiss of Life," with another excellent mellotron followed by a radio-like voice. The beginning of this simple song is beautiful, especially when the mellotron and guitar duet. A truly touching song.
"Groundbound" opens with a powerful voice, and I really appreciate the guitar part. It's a song I play over and over again when I listen to this album.
"Hole" is the song that, in my opinion, represents the album's strong point. It opens with a simple mellotron, followed by the vocals. Simple structure, fantastic song.
So far, I've mentioned the best songs, but "Slow Fire," which is the most complex, is also excellent, and "Firefly" and "The Sun Absolute" are also excellent.
The final track, "For Someone," is different from the others. The acoustic guitar dominates here, and the vocals and violin are fantastic.
Great album, great band, highly recommended!
Tracklist
1. From Within (7:25)
2. Kiss of Life (4:40)
3. Groundbound (5:25)
4. Hole (11:09)
5. Slow Fire (7:26)
6. Firefly (4:49)
7. The Sun Absolute (6:39)
8. For Someone (3:31)
Duration 51:04
LineUp
- Nicklas Berg - guitar, Mellotron, Wurlitzer, vocals
- Anna Sofi Dahlberg - Mellotron, piano, Rhodes, cello, vocals
- Jan Erik Liljeström - bass, vocals
- Peter Nordins - percussion, vibraphone
With:
- Simon Nordberg - Hammond organ, piano, co-producer and mixer
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page
